Liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, and other types of digital displays are used in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) systems. In a typical AR or VR system, the viewer does not directly view the display, but instead there are one more optical elements that guide light from the display toward the eye of the viewer. The optical elements and the display are sometimes housed together, for example, as a near-eye display (NED) unit. The quality of the viewing experience depends on a number of factors including the optical characteristics of the lenses and the display resolution.
One problem that affects digital displays is the screen-door effect (SDE), which refers to a visual artifact that occurs when the gaps between adjacent pixels become visible to the viewer. The gaps appear as gridlines around the pixels. SDE can be mitigated by using a display with a higher resolution, i.e., more pixels. However, this is not always possible. Additionally, SDE is of particular concern in AR and VR systems because the display is generally viewed under magnification, closer to the eye of the viewer compared to other display environments, and at a higher field of view than is optimal for the display. Even full HD (high definition) displays, which have a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, can be susceptible to SDE when used in an AR or VR application.
The figures depict embodiments of the present disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated may be employed without departing from the principles, or benefits touted, of this disclosure.
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